The Full Nerd: What is the future of the desktop PC?
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Adam and Will talked a lot about the future this week—at least, indirectly. The discussion with guest Wendell of Level1Techs circled around two seemingly niche interests, but we’re seeing in real-time how they’re spreading to mainstream use.
Ask most people off the street to describe a PC, and they’ll describe a full system that hogs space on your desk or floor. But with the growing popularity of mini-PCs, I find myself wondering how long that association will last. Ten years ago, friends and family gave me blank stares when I eagerly showed off a compact 4×4-inch Intel NUC. They lived in a world with clear definitions: desktop PCs were large and powerful, while laptops were small and portable. Such a tiny computer with laptop specs yet no dedicated monitor or input didn’t make sense to them.
IDG
But now, pocket-sized PCs are enjoying a sharp rise in interest. And as Wendell points out, their application is pretty wide and varied at home. Mount them to the back of a monitor (which you can do with a standard VESA bracket), and you’ve got a clean setup that looks like an all-in-one PC but more easily serviced, upgraded, or replaced. On the other end of the spectrum, homelab enthusiasts can create entire armies of PCs with minimal footprint—and at minimal cost.
In another decade, I wonder how outdated even a small-form-factor build will seem to most PC users. If the dearth of budget PC components and the inflating cost of mid-range parts both continue, mini-PCs may ultimately become the affordable default for folks who only need a basic computer. Wendell seems to agree—in this week’s episode, he says, “The [current] heyday is so good, it’s going to change desktop PCs at the low end.”
And who knows? Perhaps Linux will simultaneously lose yet more of its feel as a thing for extreme nerds. Windows 10’s mass extension won’t be put off forever, and not everyone will replace their PC immediately. Based on the discussion with Wendell about Linux though (in which its charming complexities are once again made apparent), I’m not holding my breath just yet.
Table of Contents
In this episode of The Full Nerd…
Willis Lai / Foundry
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray and Will Smith chat with guest Wendell of Level1Techs about a possible mini-PC future, the problem with Linux, and viewers’ Linux-related questions. (As you do when you’ve got Wendell in the house.) It’s two hours of super nerdy talk—and after a week of Amazon Prime Day deal hunting, my frazzled soul sorely needed to tune into such a full, meaty discussion.
My favorite takeaways: Wendell thinks a typing speed of 130 wpm is slow, and also, I have no reason to be self-conscious about the five mini-PCs stacked on my desk right now.
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This week’s interesting nerd news
Microsoft
I am grateful that for every infuriating move on Comcast’s part, a tech enthusiast on the web does something to make me still smile in spite of my outraged fury.
- Gross, Comcast wants to spy on us via Wi-Fi: Xfinity routers now can detect motion via interruptions to Wi-Fi signal strength between devices on your network and then send you a notification. Sounds maybe okay, except for the part where the company reserves the right to collect and log your data, plus possibly sell it to advertisers. My take: The old-school method of third-party modem/router + hollering at your cat to get out of the way works just fine.
- Gamers say no thanks to 8GB graphics cards: According to data shared by a German retailer, gamers apparently overwhelmingly favor the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti instead of the 8GB variants. Can’t imagine why people buying a “budget” card would want their GPU to remain versatile for as long as possible.
- Buying a graphics card sucks right now: Oh wait, I can imagine why people buying a “budget” card would want their GPU to remain versatile for as long as possible—it’s because trying to buy a video card anywhere near MSRP is difficult as heck at the moment, as our friend Steve Burke at Gamers Nexus dives deep into. At the high end, DIY builders are regularly paying 45 to 55 percent above suggested list prices. Ouch.
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
- Who needs more than 64 threads for 7-Zip? Who cares: Do you think when the 7-Zip devs lifted this restriction in the software, they shouted, “I release you from your bonds”? You know what, don’t answer that. That’s the official canon in my head now.
- AI’s hunger for electricity sparks a showdown with Pennsylvania’s governor: Artificial intelligence uses a lot of electricity—and apparently, the demand is so high that it’s affecting both supply and prices for consumers in the Keystone State. PA’s governor is threatening to ditch the state’s grid energy provider if new plants aren’t built. I’m hoping this news doesn’t signal a grim future where quality of life for ordinary people like you and me takes a nose dive in favor of tech companies’ vision for the future.
That wraps up this week—I’m gonna spend my down time recovering from a shopping hangover…and I didn’t even spend that much. (By the way, if you need to stock up on any gear and live in the U.S., consider doing it now, given the further volatility around tariffs.)
Alaina
